Driving-axle for motor-vehicles.



T. J. LINDSAY. DRIVING AXLI!V FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIOATIO'N iILBD SEPT. 21, 190s` Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented aug. se, reta I Application Atiled September v21, 1903. Serial No. 453,952.

To all whomit may concern:

Beit known that l, THOMAS d. LINDSAY,

ya citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and for Motori/vehicles, of which the following is aspecitication. A

In the building of'fnode'rn motor vehicles it is necessary, in order to produce an acceptable article, that fthe driving shafts and gearing by means of which the driving Wheels are propelled shall be completely in cased. It is also necessary that the casing shall be separable at the point where the gearing is located, in order that access may,

be had to such gearing for purpo-ses of assemblin ofproviding for their ready and convenientrepair and adjustment. As is well known the axle shaft is divided into two part-s, and

the parts are connected by what is known as 'a di'erential or compensating gear, in or i der thatwhen necessary the two driving section,

wheels maymoveat different speeds, asin turning corners and the like, without the objectionable sk idding. Heretofore Vthis differential or compensatin i gear has been secured directly upon the ax e shaft sections, so that said shaft sections and the gear had substantially the same axial line. The con# sequence has been that said shaft sections lwere necessarily so mounted as to be axially withdrawable to separate the same from 'the compensating gear'wh'en the latter needed to be removed, or an objectionable clutch formation provided between the gear structure and the axle shaft sections. In' the class of machines in which the rear axle is propelled by a `driving shaft, there is-also an objectionable' end thrust, due to the necessary sidewise stress exercised by the bevel gears. -It is also necessary in such form of construction for the axial lines of the driving shaft and.4 the axle shaft sections to intersect. v

1n my present invention, Iplace a differential or compensating gear on a separate shaft, and mount the same parallel with the axle shaft sections, and drive each axle shaft section by means ofa spur gear from the approplriate compensating gear ,shaft drivenfrom the driving shaft (or other driving means) in any usual or` approved manner.

andl dlsassembling the part-s, and

'verse sectional view at the ile' the compensating gear is' A further feature of my invention `consists in'making the axle shaft sections in parts, which parts areA united by means of universaljoints, so that I am thereby enabled to give the tubular axle sections surrounding the axle shaft sections such ah incllnation as will enable me to use ordinary 'dish'ed wheels and at the same time have which form a part hereof, an .on'whichv similar reference characters indicatesimilar parts, Figure 1 is a view partially in `plan and partially in section as seen w enllooking downwardly from the dot-ted line 1 1 in' Fig. 3'; Fig. 2 is a view partially in'eleva# tion and partially 'in section as seen whenl looking inthe direction indicatedv by the arrowsfrom the dotted line 2 2 in Figs.'1

and 3j Fig. 3 a transverse vertical secl tional view as seen whenlooking from the dotted 'line 3 3 in Fig. l, and Fig.. latransby thedotted line 4 4 in Fig.

The stationary or casingportion of this `axle structure consists of tubular; casings 21 struction shown) of which is removable in' order to give access-to the gearing. Within point indicated the tubulary axle 'sections 21 are the axlev shaft sections 31 by iheans of which the '5 I driving Wheels are propelled. These shaft sections are each divided into two par s,

'as previously stated, and the shorty inner parts 31 are connected to the main or outer parts 3l by universaljoints 31'. l Upon the parts 31 are the spur gear Wheels 32,.and

these are appropriately mounted in beary nected with the -dierential or compensating gear.

The compensating gear (shown only 1n Flg. 1) is or may be of any ordinary 'or desired form, and isusually contained Within a casing 41.' Its principal'gears 4 1 and 41 are mounted on short shafts or shaft sections 42, which are mounted between suitable bearings in the-casing portions 22 and 23, (as best shown in Fig. 1), and which carry spur pinions 43 whichengagevvith and drive the s ur gear wheels 82 onthe axle shaft sectlons. This com ensat-in`g gear is shown as provided With a bevel gear wheel 44 driven from driving shaft 45 by bevel pinion 46. As will be readily seen the entire compensating gear structure may; be removed from its bearings l,and the surrounding casing vWithout disturbing the axle shaft sections orfthe gearsmo'unted thereon; while the end thrust caused by the engagement of the bevel pinion 46 and bevelgear wheel 44 is wholly taken upby the bearings carrying the compensating gear, an 1s not to any extent communicated to the axle shaft sections or their bearings.` As' is best shown in Fig. 3

Sjthis'arrangement also enables me to arrange `in differenthorizontalplanes. This insome cases enables meto position the driving shaft horizontally on one. level, while. the axle shaft is at a lower level, which is quite an advent-again' some arrangements of driving mechanisms.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I'have 'shown the different varieties of driving wheels andwheel-mountings. In Fig. 1 the fragment of Wheel-51 I Ashownfis ofthe ordinary wagon or buggy Wheel type, such as is appropriate to light Avehicles orfmot'or buggies, and is shownwas of motor vehicles, and'have shown it mounted on 'a b earin'g on the end of the axle casing section 21, and driven from the axle shaft section 31 by means of a clutch or gear engagement, which, in the form shown, (see Fig. 4) is a four-armed clutch member 56, the arms of which engage with corresponding notches in the end of the wheel hub. This is an illustration of the application of my invention to the floating type of axle. In this form I prefer to inclose the outer end of shaft section and the wheel hub by means of a cap 57.

-It maybe noted that the downward inclination of tubular axle structureseetion 21 enabling the lower spokes of the .wheel to stand vertically is illustrated in Fig. 2. It is not shown 1n Fig. 1, as this View (being from yan approximately horizontal plane)l would not show it.

In Fign have shown the axle structure as supported by a truss 61. This may or sating-gear, Vtwo separate compensating-gear shaft-sections also mounted 1n said casing and carrying the lcor'npensating-gear free from the axle shaft-sections, a spur gear 0n each of said axle shaftsections and compensating-gear shaft-sections whereby the former are driven from the latter, a bevel gear Vwheel mounted on the vcompensating .gear t structure, adriving shaft, and a pinion on said driving shaft engaging' with said bevel gear wheel, said drivingshaft-sections and said axle shaft-sections being arranged in different horizontal planes.v

2. The combination,in.a driving axle for motor vehiclesfef an inclosing vcasing'having a yrenewableportion to allowv access to vthe interior of the casing," tivo separate axle shaft-sections' mounted thereimeach shaft section being divided into" parts connected by universal joints 'the inner parts being each 's eparately'supported iny two fixed bearings one on each side of the element carried thereby, suitable gearing also within the casing whereby said axle shaft-sections are driven, and a driving wheel at the out-er end of each axle shaft-section, the portions of the inclosing casing within which the axle shaft-sectionsV are mounted being inclined whereby when dished wheels are used the spokesthereof betweenthe hub and the surface over which the'vehicle is passing may stand approximately vertical.

3*. The.combination, vin a driving axle for motor vehicles, of the driving axle shaftsections, spur ears carried by said driving axle shaft-sections whereby they are driven, a differential driving. gearing, shafts for the differential driving gearing each having two bearings, a spur .pinion on each of said last named shafts between the two bearings thereof, said spur pinions engaging with the spur gears on the driving-axle shaftsections, and said differential driving gearing being positioned to one side of the axis of the axle, and a supporting structure for the foregoing.

4. The combination, in a driving axle for motor vehicles, of the driving-axle shaftsections, a supporting structure therefor, said driving-axle shaft-sections being ico mounted separately and independently from. ,y

-last lmentioned pair of gears.

absence 'shaft-sectidns, adiderential driving gearing positioned to one side of the shaft line of,

said. axle, two short shafts engaged with lmembers of said did'erential driving gearing respectively, spur pinions on said short shafts engaging with the spur gear wheels ot the driving-axle shaft-sections, and two bearings for each of said shafts, one upon 4each side of each of saidk spur pinions.

5. A driving axle structure for motor vehicles comprising an inclosing casing, a pair of aXle shaft-sections rotatably mounted therein in opposite ends thereof, a pair of gear wheels journaled within the casing one at'the inner end of each of the axle shaft-- vsections and each providedwit-h a pair of bearings oneon eachside of the gear wheel,

`auniversal joint bet-Ween each axle shaft-- 6. A. driving axle structure for motor vehicles comprising an inclosmg casing having oppositely extended tubular vportions and an intermediate gear housing, a pair ot spur gears independentlyjourna-led lnsaid casing, each gear having two-v bearings one upon each sideA thereof, two shat4 sections rotatably mounted within the.` oppositely extending tubular portions ofthe casing, a

universal joint between the inner end of each of sald shaft sections and one o the aforesaid gears, a compensating gearing -mounted* within the casing, and two spur. gears connected with the opposite ends of said compensating gearing and meshing respectively with the rstmentioned gears.

' .7. A driving axle structure for motor vehicles comprising .an inblosing casing having oppositely extended ltubular portions and an intermediate gear housing, a pair of spur gears independently journaled 1n said easing, two shaft sections rotatably mounted within the oppositely extending tubular portions of the casing, av universal joint'between the inner end of each of said shaft j sections and one of the .aforesaid gears, a

casing, each gear having two bearings one upon each side thereof, two shaft sections rotatably mounted within the oppositely eX- tending tubular portions of the casing, a

universal joint between the inner end 'of each of said shaft sections and one of the aforesaid gears, a compensating gearing mounted within the casing, and two gears connected with the opposite ends of sai compensating gearing and connected respectively with the first mentioned gears.

9. A driving axle structure for motor vehicles comprising -an inclosing casing having oppositely extended tubular portions and an intermediate gear housing, a pair of gears independently journaled in said 'casing, two shaft sections rotatably mounted within the oppositely extending tubular portions ofthe casing, a universal joint 'between the inner end of each of said shaft vsections and one of the aforesaid gears, a

compensating gearing mounted within the casing,` and two 'gears connected with the opposite ends of said compensating gearing and connected respectively with the first mentioned gears. Y

10. Ina driving aXle structure'for motor vehicles, the combination of acasing having an intermediate gear housing and oppositely extending tubular portions, two shaft sections each rotatably mounted in one of `the tubular casing portions, two driving gears journaled within the casing and each j connected with the inner end of the adjacent shaft section, ai differential gearing having itsnmain body journale'd inbearings within the casing upon an axis eccentriotothe axes of the shaft sections and first mentioned gears, a pair of shafts sleevedaxi ally within .themain body ot the differential gearing and having a non-rotative outwardly withdrawable connection witha center gear of the dilerential gearing, ya gear carried by 105V each of said shafts and meshing with thev adjacent gear connected to a` shaft section, and an outboard bearing within the casing for the outer end of each of said last men` tioned shafts;

1l. In a driving axle structure for motor vehicles, the combination of a casing having an intermediate gear housingi and oppositely extending tubular portions, two shaft sections each rotatably mounted in one of,` the 'tubular casing portions, two driving gears journaled within the casing and each connected with the inner end of the adjacent shaftsection, a di'lerential gearing having its main body journaled in bearings within the casing upon an axis eccentric tothe axes of the shaft sections and hrst nientioned gears, a pair of shafts sleeved axially within the main body of the diderential lgearing and having a non-rotative outwardly withdrawable connection with a center gear of the differential gearing, and

reo

a gear Vcarried by each of said shafts and ,neetion vpermitting outwar ing a main body provided with a pair of oppositely extending axial bearing sleeves, a pair of axial ears' rotatably 'mounted within said main ody, planet gears meshing with and connecting said axial gears, two shafts independently journaled within the oppositely projecting bearing sleeves and having their inner ends non-rotatively in engagement with the axial (gears b a conaxia *withdrawal, and a gear carried by the ex osed end of` each of said shafts, each o said shafts having' an outboard bearing journaled beyond its gear;

' 13. -A diferentlal gearing unit comprisn ing a main body provided with a pair of. oppositely extending axial bearing sleeves, apair of axial gears rotatably mounted within said main body, planetl gears mesh; ing with and connectingsaicl axial gears, two shafts independently journaled within the oppositely projecting bearing sleeves and havingv their4 inner ends non-rotatively in engagement with the axial gears, and a gear carried by the exposed end of each-'of said shafts, each of said shafts having an -outboard bearing journaled beyond its gear.

In witnesswhereof, I-'hav'e hereunto set my hand and .seal at Indianapolis, ndiarf)i this eighteenth 'day of September, A.

one thousand nine h'undred'and eight. l

THOMAS J. LINDSAY. mail Witnesses: I' 

